Monday, February 02, 2004

My "Big Game" review

First of all, despite what MTV would have you believe, the incident with Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake was completely planned. Why else would she wear a tear-away bustier, and why would he hold onto the piece of it he tore off? (Go here for close-ups of Janet's unique nipple piercing -- the link isn't safe for work, so if you can't see it now, she's not wearing a pastie, it's a star-shaped piercing.) You can expect this footage to replace Howard Dean's scream in the pop-video rotation next week. The word is that the NFL does not expect to allow MTV to produce future halftime shows. Does this mean Up With People will be making a comeback?

Second, the commercials were mostly lackluster. I liked the Willie Nelson advice doll ad and the Bud ad with the talking monkey, but most of them were forgettable. The AOL ads weren't bad either; James liked the one where the driver of the hot rod went back in time. As usual, you can never go wrong with guys getting hit in the crotch, animal flatulence, or women in bikinis. James and I got the most comic mileage out of the ads for Cialis, especially the one describing the possible side effects and counteractive medications. In case you missed it, we think Cialis will give you (if you're a man) a foot-long erection that lasts four hours (and requires immediate medical attention) and weighs you down in front to the point that you'll suffer lower back pain hours later. And if you have a heart condition and take Cialis, you'll get low blood pressure as well. Doesn't that sound great? Where can I get a free sample?

Our meal was excellent. James' fried chicken was crispy yet juicy, the macaroni and cheese was creamy, and the collard greens were spicy but not too bitter. The cornbread was good but needed a little more bite, perhaps from jalapenos or homemade creamed corn. My lemon chess pie came out less solid than I'd hoped but was sweet and tart just the same, and I brought home half of it to enjoy later.

Finally, the game was better than I thought it would be. It's not one of the greatest games ever played, but I'll put it near the bottom of my top ten Super Bowls. I thought that Adam Vinatieri would miss the field goal at the end and we'd see our first ever overtime championship, but he picked the right time to make the kick.

So that's it for another football season. Now I get to suffer through the Penguins' cover-your-eyes-awful season, and the Pirates' soon-to-be terrible season. How soon is the NFL draft?